How To Save Money By Going Green

Tips On How To Go Green In Your Home

Everybody wants to save money, especially in these uncertain economic times. It’s great news to learn that you can be frugal and still go green at the same time.

Here are six areas where we can protect our environment and make smart economic choices in our homes.

Kitchen

When using the oven, don’t bother to preheat. Just put your dish in the oven as soon as you turn it on and adjust the time accordingly. If you want to check on it, don’t open the oven door letting all that heat escape, but just look through the glass.

You don’t need to practically wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off the leftover food and put them in. Turn off the heat dry feature. After the dishes are done, open the door to let the steam escape and then shut it again. The remaining heat will dry your dishes.

Use environmentally friendly detergent and soap.

Stop buying all those plastic bottles and get a water filter for your drinking water.

Cut back on all those fancy food processors. Buy a set of sharp knives and start chopping.

Bath

Take showers, not tub baths. You will save a lot of water. But that’s not enough. Take shorter showers. Each additional minute that the shower is running, uses approximately 5 gallons of water.

When brushing your teeth or shaving, do not let the water run continuously. Let it pool in the basin and only turn it on when you need it.

Use shower gels and shampoos that have natural ingredients. They are better for you anyway.

Laundry

Use detergents that do not contain harmful chemicals. Look for non phosphate soaps as they do not pollute our waterways.

Wash in cold water. Unless your clothes are filthy, cold water will do the job.

Dry for the shortest amount of time possible. If you remove shirts and pants before they are completely dry and put them on hangers, they will dry with a minimum amount of wrinkles.

If you can, put up a clothes line outside and dry as much as you can in the sun. Nothing smells as good as fresh air dried sheets and towels.

Turn down your hot water heater to 120 degrees. This is plenty hot enough for your household needs. Any hotter and you risk scalding yourself.

Electronics

Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones, or even better, LED ones. Incandescent bulbs use an amazing amount of energy and put out a lot of heat.

There are many electronic devices in our homes that stay on when we turn them off. They are in standby mode. Two of the largest energy consumers are computers and entertainment centers. The easy solution is to plug your cords into a power strip and then turn that off with one switch.

Garden

Recycle your grass clippings by letting them fall into the lawn. You are adding fertilizer and organic material to your lawn which will produce lush, green grass without using chemical fertilizers.

Compost your kitchen waste. Your finished compost can be added to your garden plot in the spring. You’ll be surprised at how well your vegetables will grow with the added fertilizer. You’ll have plenty to cook on your Coleman gas grill stove throughout the summer.

Save those leaves that litter your lawn in the Fall. They will make excellent mulch for your trees and shrubs next year.

Plant a tree. The shade from the tree will help cool your house during the summertime.

If you get a lot wind, plant evergreens to block the wind from your house.

Whole House

Turn off lights when you are not using them.

Opt for online bank statements and pay your bills online.

Turn your thermostat 2 degrees up in the summer and 2 degrees down in the winter. For each 1 degree you can save about 10% of your energy cost.

Use the sun to warm your house in the Winter. Just open your drapes or blinds on the sunny side of the house. Conversely, in the Summer, close them during the hottest part of the day.

As you can see, these are six areas where you can easily save money and practice green living at the same time. Don’t let it be overwhelming. Just pick one thing and start with that. I guarantee it will make you feel good and save you money at the same time.

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